


Goodbye In Her Eyes

by jrugg



Category: Doctor Who RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-22
Updated: 2014-03-22
Packaged: 2018-01-16 13:45:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1349533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jrugg/pseuds/jrugg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Their time on Doctor Who is coming to an end. But is that all that's ending?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Goodbye In Her Eyes

If a homemade meal could ever mend relationship problems, he hoped it would be tonight. He had been in a constant state of anxiety since the previous evening when Catherine had uttered the words that no one ever wants to hear: “We need to talk.” He had wanted to get it over with right then and there but they had been filming all day and it was well past midnight; she asked if she could come over the next evening and he agreed.   
      
It was a rare scheduled day off for him so he decided to go all out and prepare one of Catherine's favorite meals, vegetarian pad thai with his mom's homemade noodle recipe. The meal would take him a good portion of the afternoon to get done since he had to make the noodles from scratch but it was worth it, he had made it the very first time Catherine came over to his flat all those months ago and it seemed appropriate to make it again.

He dressed in a new pair of jeans and a black button down shirt and had just lit the candle in the center of his small dining room table when he heard the knock at the door.

Catherine looked beautiful as always but when he looked into her eyes he saw a sadness there and his stomach dropped. She smiled when she saw the meal he made but even that seemed hesitant as if she didn’t want to allow herself happiness.

They went through the motions of dinner, making small talk as they each picked at their food. They discussed work and how fast time went; they were just days away from Catherine filming her final scenes and her moving back to London.

“Did you ever think this day would come when you packed up your whole life and moved to Cardiff?” David asked. His tone was light and friendly, belying how melancholy he felt whenever he thought about her departure. He would remain in Cardiff to film several specials before he also bid farewell to Doctor Who.

It had been a whirlwind these past three years, he had achieved a childhood dream and, more importantly, he had fallen in love with the woman who was currently sitting across from him. Their romance had been unexpected but they had fallen hard for one another and it was to the point that David almost couldn’t remember how he had gotten on in his life without Catherine. She was witty, funny, and incredibly smart; he could talk to her for hours. If they weren’t talking they were being intimate, usually in bed but there were several times when they had snuck off to various places on-set because they couldn’t keep their hands off each other and just needed sex.

The clinking of Catherine’s fork being set down on her plate brought him back from his trip down memory lane. She sighed and that sad look was back in her eyes.

“That’s what I wanted to talk about David. I’m leaving soon and this…” she gestured between them with her hand, “has to end. I can’t be with you once I go back home.”

David stared at her, dumbstruck. He was worried when she told him they needed to talk and had a feeling it would be about what they would do in the time they were apart. But the distance wasn’t that great and he was sure they could make it work. He never expected her to just up and end things between them.

When he could finally form words, all that came out was, “Why?”

“Because I have a life back there. A home. With Twig.”

David winced at the sound of the name. “I thought you two broke up,” he said. In the beginning, Catherine had come to him every time her and Twig had an argument. She would complain or cry depending on the severity of the fight and David was always there for comfort, offering a shoulder to cry on or loving arms in which to be held.

“It was more of a break. I talked to him a few weeks ago and we agreed to try and work on things when I get back. Maybe this time away has been a good thing for us.”

“But what about us?” David burst out. “I thought you loved me. And all this time you were planning on going back to him?”

“No, that’s not it.” Catherine reached her hand across the table but David abruptly placed his hands in his lap and she pulled her hand back, embarrassed.

“I do love you David. But it’s not that simple. Twig and I have had our problems but I do care for him. And we have a daughter. If there’s the slightest chance we can make this work, I will do that for Erin.”

David sighed and looked down at his hands in his lap, willing himself not to cry. “So that’s it then? You just waltz in here and tell me that we’re done? I have no say in this? Nothing that I can do or say that will make you stay?”

When he looked back up, he saw tears glistening in Catherine’s eyes and that made his eyes well up as well.

“I want to be with you,” Catherine declared, the first tears falling from her eyes and making their way down her cheeks. “But I have to do this. Will you forgive me?” Her voice cracked and she pushed her plate away, putting her elbows on the table and burying her face in her hands.

In spite of his own pain, David couldn’t bear to see her cry. He got up from his seat and went to her side. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and let her lean her head on his stomach as she continued to cry.

He stroked her hair gently and said in a strained voice, “Of course I forgive you. I love you and I want you to be happy. If this is what you need to do to be happy, I can do it.” He choked down a sob as he added, “I’ll be okay.”

Catherine pulled back from the embrace and looked up into his eyes. “We’ll still be mates right? I can’t stand the thought of you not being in my life at all.”

David nodded, even though his heart was in pieces. “Best mates,” he whispered, not trusting his voice to speak any louder.

“I should go. Besides we have an early call time tomorrow.”

She stood up and David backed up, giving her space. He walked her the short distance to the front door and they stared at one another, not quite wanting the moment to end. They were both hurting but they knew that once she walked out the door it would hurt even more.

Catherine nervously licked her lips and David knew what she was wordlessly asking of him. He leaned in ever so slightly and she met him the rest of the way, their lips meeting gently. The kiss was soft and lasted seconds too long to be considered a friendly goodbye kiss but they both needed it and craved it.

When they pulled away, Catherine immediately reached for the doorknob. “I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?”

David swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Yeah,” was all he could manage to say.

Catherine exited quickly and quietly and when the door closed behind her David leaned against it, sliding down so he was sitting on the floor. It was then that he allowed himself to really and truly cry. Ugly sobs wracked his body and he couldn’t remember ever feeling this devastated.

It was over, she had left him and he was alone. He couldn’t give her what she needed and that’s what hurt the most. But he promised her that they would still be mates and he intended to keep that promise because as much as she said she needed him in her life, he needed her more. 

 


End file.
